Natural gas prices’ deep discount to oil prices, and their relative stability, have allowed Primus to develop this technology on the basis of the price efficiency of their feedstock source. Ultimately they hope to be able to use flexible feedstock to produce various drop-in fuels competitively on a commercial scale.

Of course, any Primus cost advantage depends on the long-term stability of the oil-gas price differential. Companies such as Chevron do not believe that gas prices will remain comparatively low enough for long enough to make large US GTL investments worthwhile, whereas South Africa’s Sasol appears to be moving ahead with plans for a GTL plant in Louisiana. Primus estimates that their commercial plant will cost around $ 200 million.